collected in the Cape de Verde Islands. 85 



pair is the longest, then the third, and the second pair is the 

 shortest; they are of a brownish-yellow hue, with some brownish- 

 black spots and streaks, a longish one of the latter occurring on 

 the anterior surface of the femora, with the exception of those 

 of the fourth pair; each tarsus is terminated by two curved 

 claws, below which there is a small scopula. The palpi are 

 short, and paler than the legs ; the digital joints of the specimen 

 described were very tumid, indicating that it had to undergo its 

 final ecdysis before it arrived at maturity. The minute inter- 

 mediate eye of each lateral row is rather nearer to the posterior 

 than to the anterior eye of the same row. The abdomen is ovi- 

 form, pointed at the spinners (which are prominent), convex 

 above, and projects a little over the base of the cephalothorax ; 

 it is of a yellowish-white colour, with a broad, dark-brown 

 band, somewhat irregular in outline, extending from the anterior 

 extremity of the upper part along each side of the medial line 

 to the spinners ; and, parallel to these bands, a narrower one of 

 the same hue passes along each side ; the spinners are of a dark- 

 brown colour, and an obscure soot-coloured spot occurs at their 

 base, on the under part. 



Captured in the Island of St. Nicholas. 



Family Thomisid^e. 



Genus Thomisus, Walck. 



Thomisus piger. 



Length of an immature female ^ T ths of an inch ; length of 

 the cephalothorax T V, breadth -±r ; breadth of the abdomen -j- 1 ^ ; 

 length of a leg of the second pair -}- ; length of a leg of the third 

 pair \. 



The eyes are disposed on the anterior part of the cephalo- 

 thorax in two transverse curved rows, forming a crescent whose 

 convexity is directed forwards ; the eyes of each lateral pair, 

 which are larger than the intermediate ones, are seated on a 

 conspicuous tubercle, the anterior ones being the largest of the 

 eight. The cephalothorax is convex, slightly compressed before, 

 truncated in front, with a few bristles directed forwards from its 

 anterior margin, rounded on the sides, and abruptly depressed 

 at the base; the falces are subcorneal, vertical, and provided 

 with a few bristles near the base in front ; the maxilla? are 

 obliquely truncated at the extremity, on the outer side, and in- 

 clined towards the lip, which is triangular; the sternum is 

 heart-shaped; the legs are very unequal in length, and are pro- 

 vided with hairs and spines, two parallel rows of the latter oc- 

 curring on the inferior surface of the tibiae and metatarsi of the 

 second pair, which is much longer and more robust than the 



